Electric Bicycles for Hunting

[Litehiker]

As an "aging" backpack hunter I was fascinated by the recent article her on LRH about electric hunting bicycles. They fit my ethic for responsible backcountry travel, especially for not disturbing game and other hunters.

Every year it gets incrementally more difficult to haul 40 lbs. of "lightweight" gear and gun up the mountains and haul meat out. I can easily see that an electric hunting bike will extend my backcountry hunting and hunting range for several years.

Will I lay out 4 grand for a good hunting e-bike? Probably and probably next year or so.

In the meantime I may ask my state assembly person and senator to consider waiving "no motorized vehicles" rules on certain lands open to hunting to be waived for electric bicycles for seniors (60 or 65 and over) and disabled hunters. They are almost silent and non-polluting so would not be intrusive like ATVs or trail bikes.

Eric B.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

As far as using these in any areas where serious cactus reside, they absolutely need a solid tire or other means to avoid flats. I found out the hard way...

 

[Litehiker]

CO Guy,
I understand there are fat bike tires with Kevlar casings & belts as well as optional Teflon based belts for placing between the inner tube and the tire. Maybe with both and some Fix-A-Flat slime in a can one could make it home after a cactus spine puncture.

I worry most about cholla cactus because those spines fall off and blow around far from the cactus location.

Do you like using an e-bike for hunting?

Eric B.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Eric,
This was just a mt bike. I got this brilliant idea that, even with slimed tubes, I could hunt on our eastern plains. Within 100ft of camp my tires were flat. After researching, sounds like solids are the way to go unless you can protect the sidewalls some other way.

 

[Hand Skills]

I haven't tried it on a bicycle yet, but we've had the Tire shops foam fill some of our trailer and wheelbarrow tires that kept going flat around the farm. They don't go flat anymore!

 

[Litehiker]

I won't be hunting in the Mojave Desert (where I live) but central and northern Nevada. No cacti there but maybe other thorny plants. I'll do the Kevlar tire belt and the inner tube protection belt.

On the subject of electric bikes for hunting I found a site called Juiced Bikes. They are in California and have developed a proprietary extended range battery of their own that doubles battery life - and battery size, natch

They have a bike called the Rip Curent S that looks like what i'll be buying. The price is a few thousand less than some other hunting bikes which is attractive IF it is a good quality bike. The motor and battery appear top notch and the heavy duty aluminum frame looks well made. The big optional battery literally doubles the range and for a back country e-bike that's comforting.

I've seen some hunting bikes with the motor "mid" mounted at the crank. At first this seems fine but when you talk to e-bike store owners you learn it puts a lot of strain on the chain ring, chain ring teeth and the chain itself. All of this just to drive the rear wheel. So why not just put the motor in the rear hub and save these components to be used only for pedal power to assist the motor? Makes sense to me and that is what the Rip Current S has as do many other e-bikes.

So my search continues with Juiced Bikes having the leading contender - so far.

Eric B.

 

[aushunter1]

You either hunt close to home, have a great 4x4 set up with solar/12V inverter or have a very long extension cord
How far out of nowhere do you want to chance it?

 

[Litehiker]

Aussie,
I have some "safety parameters".
1. SPOT rescue beacon with several pre-programmed messages for getting help. (And my AAA Premier level road service covers up to $25,000. for emergency transport, say by rescue helicopter.)
2. tire repair kit W/ pump
3. Ability to backpack out in the event of total bike fail. I'm an experienced backpacker and taught Army ROTC cadets winter survival, inserting with Chinoolk choppers into the winter AO.
4. There is the great likelihood that I will never be more than 10 miles from a road or my trailhead, even in Nevada. Walkable in a day.

E-bikes are now quite reliable, given regular maintainance inspections, so I'm fairly comfortable with the prospect of using them.
My feeling is that I will be regularly using it before hunting season for scouting and recreation so I'll have a decent amount of experience. I was a bike racer in another life so I have repair tools I'll carry.

Eric B.

 

[aushunter1]

Sorry I think I miss read you post & thought you were disabled & reading it back you are trying to enable people with this tech by the sound of it?

Ive heard mixed reports about SPOT beacons & how they sometimes fail to get signal.
I have gone to a KLB PLB which uses a more reliable sat network & has a 10year lifespan.

Good luck with it & keep enjoying the chase

 

[OhYtD]

Ebikes are becoming very popular. My mom n dad both have on in FL for the beach (dad - bad knees from flat tracking mom - bad back from tennis) and they love them. Definitely a good idea for bow hunting. Highly recommend getting an oversized battery if they offer them.

 

[Litehiker]

Aussie,
At 76 I'm forced to admit I am becoming "age challenged". Backpacking in the mountains of Nevada at 8,000 and 9,000 ft. with all my gear plus rifle and butchering stuff is getting harder each year.
As you will discover "Sonny", staying fit in your 60s is not that difficult but in your 70s age itself begins to slow you down regardless of your training routine. So you young whippersnappers have fun while you can - then get an e-bike.

I guess I'm saying that e-bikes will likely greatly extend my hunting years beyond what I could do just backpacking. It's difficult to get hunting partners due to the way NDOW hands out big game tags so I have to do solo hunts.

I very much dislike ATVs roaring all over hell's half acre during hunting season so my answer is a silent e-bike but only when necessary. That is dependent upon which hunting unit NDOW sticks me with each year. Some are mountainous and some are open, rolling country.

Eric B.

 

[FEENIX]

Aussie,
At 76 I'm forced to admit I am becoming "age challenged". Backpacking in the mountains of Nevada at 8,000 and 9,000 ft. with all my gear plus rifle and butchering stuff is getting harder each year.
As you will discover "Sonny", staying fit in your 60s is not that difficult but in your 70s age itself begins to slow you down regardless of your training routine. So you young whippersnappers have fun while you can - then get an e-bike.

I guess I'm saying that e-bikes will likely greatly extend my hunting years beyond what I could do just backpacking. It's difficult to get hunting partners due to the way NDOW hands out big game tags so I have to do solo hunts.

I very much dislike ATVs roaring all over hell's half acre during hunting season so my answer is a silent e-bike but only when necessary. That is dependent upon which hunting unit NDOW sticks me with each year. Some are mountainous and some are open, rolling country.

Eric B.

Good on you for being out there at your age at 76. I am only 57 and feeling the challenge already but I do my best to get into shape. But you are right, it gets harder every year.

I too am interested on the e-bike but I am not sure if they are allowed on the some of the areas I hunt in MT; will have to ask FWP about e-bike on no motorized vehicles allowed areas.

 

[J E Custom]

I had a friend that Built a walk behind cart using a electrical motor and 2 Lithium batteries from an electric lawn mower. He said it was legal and gave him something to hold on to and balance.

He carried his pack in it and when he took game, he could haul it out after field dressing.

The down side was that he still walked, but he said it was a life saver when retrieving the game.

I built one that I pulled with two wheels but it was not powered, that worked well except in mountainous terrain.

Just a thought

J E CUSTOM

 

[J E Custom]

Here are some available electric bikes.



J E CUSTOM